Lisa & Vanessa Answer More Oral Hygiene Questions

Our founders Lisa & Vanessa Creaven answers your questions posted on Spotlight Oral Care's Instagram Stories.

In back to back videos Lisa and Vanessa give their expert advice on questions put to them on Spotlight Oral Care's Instagram account.

 

   

Lisa Creavan: 

Hi guys, I hope everyone is well. So I'm gonna pop on and go through as many questions as I can.

0:07 secs

Will the sensitive toothpaste and water flosser help with pocket areas?

So yes if you have gum disease or a pocket that you're aware of flossing really helps. So whether it's water flossing or using traditional floss... every case is so specific as well, so if you're unsure speak to your hygienist about your individual needs, but yes, flossing helps.

0:20 secs

Is going to the dentist during COVID high risk of infection?

So if you're nervous about going to the dentist during this time with Covid and everything, speak to them, ask them about what protective measures they have in place. And then all the basics you know, wash your hands, use your hand sanitiser, but just speak to your dentist and they will go through everything with you.

0:34 secs

How many hours daily should Invisalign be worn?

So Invisalign aligners should be worn 22 hours a day, every day, and they're only removed to eat and to brush your teeth. Otherwise they're to be worn. And you do find a huge difference in people who are really really strict about wearing them and they finish their treatment much quicker.

0:50 secs

Can I remove tartar at home?

So if you have some tartar, which is hard and plaque on your teeth, I wouldn't recommend trying to remove this at home because it can actually be damaging. So just ensure you're keeping your teeth as clean as possible by brushing and flossing and then go see your dentist when you can.

1:05 secs

What can I do about dentist anxiety?

So I do recommend you go to your dentist and explain to them that you are nervous, but in the meantime, a lot of oral health is actually achieved at home so using a sonic toothbrush, is really good for keeping your teeth as clean as possible. And using toothpaste that actually works, so an all natural toothpaste.

1:20 secs

Should I brush before or after using whitening strips?

So you don't need to brush your teeth immediately before you put your strips on. Just brush the normally morning and evening. And you'll notice when you put the whitening strips on and they go on really tightly and you will struggle a little bit to remove the strip. But that's on purpose. So the active ingredient is right there. So it's really effective.

1:35 secs

Sore tooth and gums, what should I do?

Great that you have your appointment booked because every case is obviously so individual. But if you are having tenderness around your gum, it could be a lot of things causing it, it could be a little infection or inflammation in the gum, it could be the tooth that's actually infected, you've done the right thing to go see your dentist.

1:50 secs

How long after brushing your teeth should you wait to eat breakfast?

If you brush your teeth first thing in the morning you don't have to wait to eat your breakfast. But if you eat your breakfast first ideally you should wait maybe about 20 minutes to brush your teeth because there is acid in your food that can damage your teeth so ideally wait 20 minutes.

2:05 secs

Does the water flosser cause sensitivity?

So no our Water Flosser doesn't cause any sensitivity. But one little tip I would say is to use lukewarm water when you're using the Water Flosser. If you use really really cold water that could set off some sensitivity. So just use lukewarm water and that should be fine.

2:20 secs

Can stress impact oral health?

So stress is something that can actually play a big role in your oral health. The most common thing we see is people who are stressed grind their teeth and that can actually wear their enamel away. And also stress can lead to more gum issues more gum inflammation so we see that a lot too.

2:36 secs

Water Flossing vs normal floss advice?

Regular flossing is really good water flossing is also really good. Anything that you use to dislodge food or bacteria between your teeth is a good thing. But most of my patients, really struggle using regular floss and that's why we brought out the Water Flosser because it's simply easier to use.

2:51 secs

Water floss before or after brushing?

I would recommend to water floss before you brush your teeth. That way when you brush your teeth with the active ingredients, it's going to stay in your mouth and it's going to give you longer benefits from your toothpaste.

3:02 secs

How many times should you floss a day?

The American Dental Association recommends flossing your teeth once a day. So that is plenty to keep your teeth lovely and clean. But I do find some of my patients if they have an area where food just get gets called you're not going to damage your gums by keeping that clean maybe twice a day.

3:17 secs

Can we get a demo of the water flosser please?

So we're actually getting asked this question quite a lot, I'm actually we have a video made and we're gonna put it up on the website, on that page and website in the next couple of days., so keep an eye out for that. Because I do think it's something that's new and that a lot of people haven't seen before. So it's a good point.

Vanessa Creavan:  

Are your products suitable for someone who suffers from gum disease?

If you find that you're suffering from gum disease, products that I would suggest you use are the sonic brush, that's a game changer for anyone who has gum disease. The Water Flosser aor a manual floss, to make sure you're cleaning between the teeth, and then the toothpaste for gum health. 

0:14 secs

Does pain from a wisdom tooth always result in extraction?

We don't always extract wisdom teeth but repeated infections needing antibiotics, swellings or repeated pains would make us want to take out wisdom teeth because that will continue to occur. So definitely chat to your dentist if you're finding that you're getting pain constantly with your wisdom teeth. 

0:30 secs

How often should I change the head of my sonic toothbrush?

A general rule of thumb, we always encourage our patients to change their brush heads whether it's a manual brush, or the tip of the sonic toothbrush every three months. That gives you a really nice change. It reduces any harboring of bacteria, and it also makes sure the bristles don't get frayed. 

0:45 secs

Should you brush your teeth before or after breakfast?

A general rule of thumb is that you should probably brush your teeth before you've breakfast. This is because if you anything acidic in your breakfast, so orange juice, yogurt fruit, it can cause a little bit of wear and erosion if you scrub your teeth after so always encourage you to brush your teeth before breakfast. 

1:00 secs

I'm worried about teeth whitening with sensitive teeth

This is a really common question, it's something we get asked a lot about and it's why we developed this teeth whitening strips, they are specifically designed for anyone with sensitivity. So if you are worried I would always say try a strip every second night and use the toothpaste for sensitive teeth also. 

1:15 secs

How can chipped front teeth be fixed?

If you find that you've chips at the bottom of your front teeth, there's a couple of different treatment options that we recommend, composite bonding works really really well here, it's where we add a little bit of filling to the tooth. If the chips are really really small, we can do a little thing about cosmetic beveling but definitely chat to your dentist.

1:30 secs

Is there a list of food to avoid to stop bonding becoming stained?

Obvious food choices like red wine, curries, teas and coffees can cause a little bit of staining on bonding. But what I always suggest here is to attend your hygienist regularly which will polish up the bonding and also do use whitening strips because they will lift those stains. 

1:45 secs

Viveria or Essix retainers?

This is a really detailed question and it's something we get asked a lot about. Vivera retainers that are made by Invisalign, Essix are retainers that are made here in the labs. I will always hand down recommend the Vivera retainers, they're amazing, they're really strong and they last longer 

2:00 secs

Should I brush with a Sonic as I would do with a manual toothbrush?

With the Sonic Brush, you are still moving the brush in circular motions, but you're not scrubbing. So I just have a charcoal one here. So you're moving it as such. And you want to aim halfway between the gum and halfway between the tooth in a short circular motion.  

2:16 secs

Is it safe to use the Water Flosser on fillings?

Absolutely it's really important to get in there to clean between that tooth and the next up beside it, a Water Flosser so is a perfect option here. You can use manual floss, but I have to find my patients when they have a huge feeling on one side of the tooth, they're afraid they're going to pull it. 

2:30 secs

I'm petrified of going to the hygienist because of my gum sensitivity.

So this is really a Catch 22 situation. It's something we hear a lot about...My gums are really sore and they're bleeding and I don't want to go into my hygienist because they'll make them sorer. Believe it or not your hygienist is there she's going to clear all of the plaque tartar and debris from the teeth and make them healthier longer.

If you find that you are really nervous about your gums being sensitive, mention it to your receptionist or your practice manager when you're booking and say "God, I'm really nervous that my gums will be sensitive." The hygienist can put a little bit of numbing jelly on the gums, which really really helps long term.

3:01 secs

Should you rinse after brushing?

I would encourage anyone not to rinse after brushing just to spit out the ingredients. And the reason is we want the ingredients left in the mouth, not to be rinsed, and to embed into the tooth and to the gums and just to remineralize the teeth throughout the day. 

3:16 secs

What toothpaste should I use for gum recession?

We get asked this a lot, it's not the toothpaste per se for gum recession. It's how you're brushing your teeth. So rather than focus on the toothpaste, I would absolutely invest in a sonic brush because the majority of gum recession is caused by over scrubbing with a manual toothbrush.